Brian is upset at the people of Ontario — or at least those that read the Toronto Star.  Star readers (or rather “newsbyters” — since all the facts are seldom present in any Star piece related to the economy) are ignorant of the fact that this meltdown boils down to people (the middle class specifically), and not politics.

Case in point, this ho-hum piece of journalism touting the surprise “Ontario job spurt” with all the makings of a premature ejaculation.

Brian is not so pissed off at the Star’s casual selection of statistics published by Statistics Canada; or the omission of the fact that the majority of said “spurting” was in women aged 25-54 (51,000 jobs) and older men aged 55+ (17,000 jobs); or the fact that men aged 25-54 are still down 200,000 jobs.  This should at least make you wonder, (since we don’t know), where the hell the stimulus money is being spent to generate jobs in this demographic?  But that is not what Brian is pissed at.

Brian is pissed that the majority of comments from respondents made it a political issue (e.g., looking good for the Conservatives, Liberals could do better, etc.), and to cap it off, most obviously decided not to go to Statistics Canada to read the goddamn report!  It’s located here.

Get off your ass Canada.  We all want good news, and Brian loves optimism.  However we as Ontarians need to be more demanding of our levels of government and our MPs — no matter who the hell is driving the goddamn bus.  This requires a basic understanding of the world you live in.  It’s out there, go and find it.

From CBC:

British Columbia’s child poverty rate has remained the highest in Canada for six years in a row and it’s time the provincial government took action, according to a child and youth advocacy group.

In its annual Child Poverty Report Card released Tuesday, the advocacy group First Call said B.C. had 156,000 poor children in 2007 — even though that was a good year for the provincial economy.

“When will the provincial government take action?” asked First Call chairwoman Julie Norton, who released the report on the 20th anniversary of an unanimous House of Commons vote to end child poverty in Canada by 2000.

The proportion of children living in poverty in B.C. was 18.8 per cent, while the national child poverty rate was 15 per cent, according to Statistics Canada data cited in the report.

“We’ve been at the bottom year after year after year, and our elected officials still don’t take seriously the pain and suffering that poverty causes children and their families,” said Norton.

And while B.C. had fewer children living in poverty in 2007 than it had in 2006, the group pointed out that the province has since seen an economic downturn, along with the rest of the world.

“Yet half a dozen other provinces — Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba — have committed to poverty reduction plans,” said Norton.

The B.C. government must come up with a legislated poverty-reduction plan that includes the appointment of a cabinet minister committed to the cause, she said.

Call for action disputed

The report calls on the province to increase child benefits and access to high quality childcare while raising welfare rates and B.C.’s minimum wage, the lowest of all provinces at $8 an hour.

But B.C. Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak said those measures would not have a huge impact on the child poverty rates.

“The stats don’t back it up. The vast majority of people according to Statistics Canada who are earning minimum wage in British Columbia are under the age of 25 and most of those live at home with their parents,” Polak said.

Polak also noted the report also confirms the child poverty rate in B.C. has been consistently dropping since 1991.

“We have the lowest child poverty rate in British Columbia that we have seen in almost the last 20 years,” Polak said.

“We know we have to keep on top of what things are changing our world right now, but nevertheless we know that the kind of interventions we have been using are working, because we are seeing the outcomes,” she said.

“We are seeing dramatic declines in child poverty in British Columbia. And this report concedes the same thing — the number of children living in poverty has decreased by 25,000,” said Polak.

Poverty affects health

First Call did report 25,000 fewer B.C. children were living in poverty in 2007, compared to its 2006 study, but the group’s provincial co-ordinator, Adrienne Montani, said those figures should be viewed cautiously.

“I just would remind the minister that that was during very good economic times,” she said.

The report cites health experts in the BC Healthy Living Alliance saying that child poverty has a huge impact on health.

“The lack of resources and choices as well as social exclusion and stress created by poverty make it one of the most significant contributors to ill health,” said the report.

And while the risk of poverty is more than three times greater for families with only a single female parent, 51 per cent of poor children live in two-parent families, the report said.

First Call is a coalition of healthcare, social service, education and justice groups formed in 1992 to advocate for the rights of children in B.C.

Story here at No Apologies. (H/T Andrew)

This is based on a study by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. (IMFC)

Excerpt:

Parents’ behaviour and attitudes during childhood shape a teen’s sexual choices. Based on our findings we recommend:

• Parents should be the prime sex educator. Parents are the most influential force in a teens life

• Parents should work to create a healthy, stable home characterized by warmth, open communication and clear expectations

• Parents should model a healthy lifestyle and positive choices. Your children are watching

• Sex education should engage parents and recognize their role as the primary sex educators

• Sex education should acknowledge that girls face unique risks compared to boys when it comes to early sexual engagement

While it may seem daunting to see correlations between family behaviours years ago and sexual activity in your children today – the news is positive. Teens do listen and want to listen to their parents, as indicated by surveys and polls. It’s something to remember next time your teen slams the door and turns up the music.

Here are the four practical tips discussed in the IMFC article:

• Eliminate parental use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco
  
• Involved and engaged fathers and increased parent-child communication
• Increased community involvement by parents, especially church
  
• Married parents biologically linked to the children
  

by Agostino Di Maria

Sept. 24^th 2009

As Faisel Jaffer swipes his debit card for the third time to kick off a new school year at the University of Toronto Book Store, he admits he thinks about money on a daily basis.

“Every minute of everyday,” he says.  “Costs have been increasing each year; it’s tough to save any amount of money in the summer due to the rising costs of everyday items.”

Jaffer, who is enrolled in the neuroscience program at the University of Toronto, is one of many post-secondary students who have become frustrated with the financial burden for obtaining an education.

“The government should definitely offer more support,” he states. “OSAP is not enough, which is why we are seeing so many students drop out. They just cannot afford the continuing costs over a full school year.”

Recent data from Statistics Canada illustrates that Jaffer is one of the millions who are currently being affected by high inflation rates across Canada. The data showed a steady inflation of everyday necessity items between the years 1990 and 2008. Within these time periods, according to Statistics Canada, the cost of bread has increased 300 per cent, cars 200 per cent and gas 200 per cent. During that same time period, the average family income has only increased 11.8 per cent

“I believe it,” said Jaffer, after being presented with the data. “Gas is a great example, which is probably why so many students are relying on public transportation or car pooling. It’s just too much.”

The noticeable gap between wages and inflation has led many students to resort to government loans in order to continue their education.

Katrina Roberto, a journalism student at the University of Toronto, echoed the worries of Jaffer and the rising costs of post-secondary education.

“I am a 4^th year student, and yet I am taking out an OSAP loan for the first time. That should say enough right there,” she said.

A survey of 30 random students at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus further illustrated the fears of both Roberto and Jaffer. Of the 30 students, 25 carried some form of student debt, while 21 carried a student debt amounting to $15,000 or more.

Daniel Miched, of Primerica Financial Services, is not surprised about the debt load.

“Students require more education in finance,” he said. “Not only with the risk of increasing costs, but also the concept of the university as a business.”

According to Miched, there was never a course offered in high school called “Financial planning” so students do not know how to handle these types of situations.

Though a recent report by CBC News put inflation actually dropping slightly below zero throughout the month of August, other financial consultants are urging students and others not to get too complacent.

“It is likely headed for another increase for September and October,” says Danielle Dimtses, also with Primerica. “I wish that they did not air that report because now people are going in with a mentality that things will start to get better; this is definitely not the case.”

-30-

by Kilian Bugayong

September 24, 2009

Marlon Souza Luis, a third year mathematics and human biology major at the University of Toronto sat on the GO train folding his empty LCBO box after packing his four large drinks in his knapsack.  Thursdays are usually pub nights for Souza Luis’ group of friends but instead, he was thinking about how he copes with his mounting debts and unemployed status as he formed his last fold.

“And it’s not alcoholism,” Souza Luis said, with a laugh.

“I already owe about $35 thousand. I’ve amassed so much debt within three years that anymore is of no consequence,” Souza Luis said.

Despite his growing debt, like many students this past summer Souza Luis could do very little. According to a study released by Statistics Canada on September 4, the average summer unemployment rate of students aged 15-24 reached 19.2 per cent, the second highest rate since 1977.

Although Souza Luis did not have a full-time job this past summer, he was able to somewhat support himself by tutoring high school students in math for $25 per hour whenever possible, “which wasn’t often,” Souza Luis added.

To combat this setback, students like Souza Luis have found various ways to cope with their debt, whether it is positive thinking, or a more proactive approach like working during their school year. For Souza Luis, who relies on both OSAP and his parents, knowing that he can eventually pay off his when he’s a doctor is what gets him through.

Some however were not so lucky.  The extended term implemented at York University due to the strike, made it difficult for many York students to find a summer job, leaving many students unemployed.  Eric Fox was one of those students.

Outside his Ajax home, Fox, a theater studies major, sat silently on his porch, wearing his father’s old suit, fiddling with his pack of cigarettes.  He is an admirer of suits reminiscent of classic actors like Cary Grant, but said he has to be content with hand-me-downs.

“Not a lot of people could get jobs, and even if you could, you had a month or less to work, so you wouldn’t be able to make much for the next year,” said Fox as he took a long drag of his cigarette.  “To make things simple I just tried to be as frugal as I could.”  There were many times he passed up going to the movies with friends.

On top of his university expenses, Fox also enrolled in driving school during the latter half of his summer, which exhausted his funds.

“By the end of the summer I was completely broke, and after tuition I’ll have about $600 dollars of OSAP money to live on because by now I’m pretty sure we’re out of the savings,” Fox said.

In the meantime, inside Aji Sai Japanese Restaurant on Queen Street West, Kate Aenlle, a Ryerson University journalism student who has remained employed in various jobs for the past six years, such as at Second Cup, at a post office, and at Change, says she feels the exact opposite of Souza Luis.

“I’m terrified of debt; it haunts my dreams,” Aenlle said. “I’ve been fortunate enough not to need OSAP.  My tuition is from my parents and everything else is my own.”

Her only actual debt is the $500 she owes for her new laptop.

As a part of the population of employed students, Aenlle has a constant flow of income, which keeps her from building up a debt.  However constant expenses like transportation, books and food also prevent her from saving funds

“I’m a little afraid it might mean that when the day comes that I want to fly away from the nest I will only have $50 in my bank account. I already have no money now,” said Aenlle, with a nervous chuckle.

Back on the GO train, Souza Luis rises from his seat ready to disembark at Union Station.  At present, his plans are to continue volunteering at the Ajax and Pickering Hospital and tutoring high school math students.  He does not plan to apply for jobs during the school year, as he considers his education more important.

Fox also decided to suspend the idea of a job.  Currently his health, as well as his academic performance, are being hurt by the stress-inducing search for work, he said.  Instead he plans to work as a bartender once he completes the training, which he says should be by the summer of 2010.

Meanwhile inside an Urban Outfitters, in the heart of Toronto’s Queen Street, Aenlle smiled widely. On any other day she would have walked past the $68 outfit, but with it being on sale for $19, she stood at the cash register, wallet in hand, and watched with as the cashier folded and packaged her new black dress.

-30-

The Annual Rent Increase Guideline and the Above Guideline Increase for 2010 have been announced. Much to no one’s surprise both rent increase guidelines are greater than those of 2009. The Annual Rent Increase Guideline has been raised from 1.8% to 2.1% and applies to a rent increase that begins any time between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010. This annual increase is intended to cover the costs incurred by the landlord related to building maintenance and operating costs in the preceding 12 months. The Above Guideline Increase has been raised from 2.1% to 3.15%. Landlords, however, have to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for approval of any rent increase that is above permitted guideline increase of 2.1%. Check our link Annual Guideline Rent Increase  for more information.

GUIDELINES INCREASES AND THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
An explanation for how the Annual Guideline Rent Increase is calculated is available at the Landlord and Tenant Board website.  It states:

The annual rent increase guideline is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Consumer Price Index is released monthly by Statistics Canada and is widely regarded as a reliable and objective measure of inflation.

The 2010 rent increase guideline is calculated by averaging the percentage change in the Ontario Consumer Price Index for each of the previous 12 months from June 2008 to May 2009

and

The 2010 guideline is based on the changes in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all goods and services running from June 2008 to May 2009, compared to the same time period in the previous year.  Increased costs for energy in the first six months of this period have contributed to a guideline which is higher than last year.

Based on the data from Statistics Canada and the formula used to measure inflation, the Ontario Government determined that Annual Rent Increase Guideline for 2010 is 2.1%.  Keep in mind that this increase in the Consumer Price Index has occurred during one of the worst recessions in decades so this increase bears close scrutiny. The data used by Statistics Canada consist of the ‘cost of goods and services purchased’ over a specified period of time but with emphasis on ‘increased costs for energy’.  One has to wonder exactly ‘who’ purchased goods and services at inflated prices in the midst of a deep recession.  Check Annual Rent Increase Guideline 2010 at the Landlord and Tenant Board website for complete details on the formula used to calculate the  increase. You can also obtain additional information at The Consumer Index 2009 to review Statistics Canada’s monthly calculation of the Consumer Price Index.

VACANCY DECONTROL AND GUIDELINE INCREASES
Whenever we are discussing the Annual Rent Increase Guideline we have to revisit the ambiguity of ‘Vacancy Decontrol’ in the Residential Tenancies Act. As you know, ‘Vacancy Decontrol’ allows a landlord to charge rent to a new tenant according to what the market will bear.  Market value rent can be up to 18%-20% higher than the Annual Rent Increase Guideline. Landlords are also permitted to take advantage of this higher percentage increase when an existing or  sitting tenant ‘moves within a building ‘.  Since these tenants are also regarded as ‘new tenants’, the landlord can charge rent that is current market value whether or not repairs are made to their new unit.  This ambiguity is allowed under the regulations of the Residential Tenancies Act. The reasoning behind that huge increase is that it is supposedly intended to cover the landlord’s cost to renovate and/or repair the available apartment.
Question: Do landlords actually do these repairs or renovations or is it a superficial patchwork job? It is no wonder there is a huge disparity in rents charged for same-sized units in many apartment buildings. The regulations in the Residential Tenancies Act governing rent increases overrides the Annual Guideline Rent Increase and the Above Guideline Increase. Once again, more questions should be posed:  Why does this continue? Does it have more to do with the agenda of ‘Landlord lobbyists’? Is it too naive to expect a fair system for both landlords and tenants? Again, why does the ambiguity remain regarding ‘Vacancy Decontrol’ in the Residential Tenancies Act?

IMPACT ON TENANTS
1) Clearly these rent increases will adversely affect tenants struggling to get by on modest incomes in these difficult economic times. Many of those most affected by the recession have had to deal with layoffs, reduced hours and a much smaller paycheque. Despite the increased energy costs, one has to wonder who purchased all those ‘goods and services’ that Statistics Canada used to reach this apparent inflation in the calculation of the Consumer Price Index. Could it be the ’stimulus package’ is at work here or was it simply increased spending at all levels of government on certain ‘goods and services’ that help inflate the Consumer Price Index? One might wonder if the Consumer Price Index accurately represents an ‘average family shopping basket’!

2) An Above Guideline Increase takes into account costs such as increased municipal taxes, utilities and operating costs related to security and other eligible capital expenditures. So another issue that will obviously impact many tenants is related to the installation of ’smart sub-meters’ and how that massive and complex project will impact rental costs and the rent increases.  In 2010 it seems that tenants can expect to see a huge jump in operating costs due to ’higher utility and energy costs’, ‘smart sub-meters’ and so-called ‘retrofits’. This will most certainly result in landlords applying for, and being granted Above Guideline Increases. And this will have a potentially devastating effect on the meagre budget of many tenants. We strongly recommend tenants check two of our recent posts:  Smart Sub-meters and Smart Sub-meters – Getting it right.  We also encourage you to pay attention to the questions and concerns raised in these posts. Just remember – Tenants do not have to consent to the installation of these gadgets in their unit.

NOTES:
i)  In 2010 the interest paid by the landlord on your  Last Month’s Rent (LMR) must also be increased to 2.1%.  Check our link Renting Regulations for regulations regarding interest payment on your last month rent.
ii) The Ontario Tenants Rights website contains a table listing the Rent Increase Annual Guidelines from 1975 to the present that will give you an idea of how rent increases have been fluctuating. Please refer to this link:  http://www.ontariotenants.ca/research/rent-increase.phtml

We look forward to hearing your comments on these Guideline Increases for 2010, or on anything else you find of interest at our site.

—-

Another sign that the future is looking better in the Automotive sector.

Canada July Factory Sales Rise on Auto Production

Sept. 16 (Bloomberg) — Canadian factory sales advanced the fastest since 1998 in July as automobile production restarted following the emergence of Chrysler Group LLC and General Motors Co. from bankruptcy.

Factory sales increased 5.5 percent from a month earlier to C$41.4 billion ($38.7 billion), Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa, as automotive output jumped 48 percent to C$3.3 billion. Excluding that industry, sales increased 2.1 percent.

The Bank of Canada said Sept. 10 that the economy may grow faster than it has predicted in the second half of this year, in part because of gains in automobile production and a drawdown of inventories. The earlier U.S. bankruptcy filings of Chrysler and GM had shuttered Canadian dealers, plants and parts suppliers.

“This report is a clear sign that the Canadian economy is emerging from recession,” said Jonathan Basile, an economist with Credit Suisse Holdings Inc. in New York, in a note to clients.

Click here: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=anIbro1K9rc0 to view the entire article.

By Shannon Proudfoot, Canwest News Service

Contrary to their healthy living image, baby boomers are “drifting” into old age with poor eating habits, too little exercise and decimated savings, said Robert Butler, CEO of the International Longevity Center.

“We do not have a healthy population moving into old age,” he said recently when opening a weeklong workshop on aging issues run by the ILC, a non-profit think-tank. “It’s a huge social change. I don’t think we can do in time the things that will most benefit them.”

However, Butler said he hopes boomers will still be “energetic” about bringing on changes that will benefit the generations to follow them.

By 2015 there will be more people in Canada over 65 than under 15, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent population projections. And the number of seniors is expected to double during the next 25 years.

In a report issued by the ILC, “The Future of Living: Independently,” boomers — the generation born between the end of the Second World War and the early sixties — are urged to plan ahead for old age and create “a meaningful social dialogue on aging.”

Boomers are encouraged to establish support systems “by keeping engaged, active and socially connected through pleasurable and meaningful activities like volunteering,” and try to live in communities that make this possible.

Boomers are also asked to “think strategically about access to health care” and use new technologies to prevent isolation and enhance safety.

In another session, S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois, Chicago, said obesity in general is on the verge of causing an unprecedented decline in life expectancy in developed countries.

Entire generations who became overweight in childhood will come of age with a set of health risks never before seen, he says, and he predicts that within 10 to 15 years, that will reduce average life expectancy, following a century of rapid improvement.

Current life expectancy in Canada is 82.5 years for women and 77.7 for men, according to Statistics Canada.

Only in the most recent chapter of human history have people even lived long enough to grapple with old age, Olshansky says, thanks to advances in medicine and public health that drastically reduced death rates from causes like infectious diseases and childbirth early in life.

“Aging as we know it today is a new phenomenon, really a 20th-century phenomenon,” he said.

We’ve effectively “redistributed death from the young to the old,” Olshansky said, but this extension in life expectancy combined with falling fertility rates means a massive shift in the global age structure on the immediate horizon.

Societies usually have lots of young members and few old members, he says, but by 2011, that’s poised to flip in the massive populations of developing countries like China and India, as well as in North America.

“Humanity will experience a permanent shift in our age structure,” Olshansky said.

- – -

Opal Rowe is the founder of Nowhere Like Home, which is one of the fastest-growing service providers for Senior Care Services. Some of the as-needed services include:

Housekeeping * Grocery & Other Shopping * Transporting & Accompanying to Medical and Other Appointments * Recuperation from Hospitalisation * Long Distance Care * Personal and Health Care

Didn’t you hear?? Canadian households are wealthier.  After losing ground in the last three quarters, things have improved in the second quarter of 2009 with stock market gains leading the rebound – or so said Statistics Canada said Monday.

“Canadian stock markets recovered partially in the second quarter, with the S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange composite index up nearly 20 per cent,” Statscan said.

“The resulting increase in the value of household financial assets (including shares, mutual funds and pension assets) was the principal factor behind the rise in household net worth,”

Ok so before you run to the bank a la Jerry McGuire screaming “Show me the money!!”  This isn’t really all good news, at least in my opinion.  So what we’re saying here, is basically people have more value in assets (like Real Estate) but no money or savings, or at least less money – and this is positive? Hmmm.

The use of credit also rose reportedly more quickly in the quarter.  With the Real Estate markets taking off after February, mortgage debt led the way.  So while resale housing prices are rising people are taking on more debt because of the attractive mortgage rates.

Where home buyers and sellers need to exercise caution is while home values are up in Oakville, Mississauga and the GTA as a whole, people are selling high and buying higher, eroding their equity and financial strength.

So, in theory this is positive news as it suggests that the overall economic situation is improving. Perhaps the worst of the financial crises in Canada is now behind.  I would advise homeowners and home buyers to be cautious and ensure that they do not become house rich and cash poor.

Hopefully other areas of the economy will improve as many businesses and companies are still struggling to regain their footing and are buried in wage freezes and budget tightening.  On this note, Statistics Canada reported that the net worth of corporations fell by $208-billion in the second quarter.

Do you feel like a financial slave to your home or condo?

Are you scared that downsizing in today’s Real Estate market really means buying up?

Comment and share your thoughts…

Related Reading:  Read “Canadian household wealth rebounds” by Virginia Galt in the Globe and Mail – Monday September 14, 2009

Related Posts:

• Real Estate Market Watch: Can we keep this going? Is the GTA’s market sustainable?
• Oakville, Mississauga & GTA Real Estate Market Update: August 2009
• Oakville Real Estate Watch: Healthy market or Micro Bubble?

If you would like to discuss your Real Estate situation or are looking to buy or sell a home or condo contact me for a confidential assessment.

Statistics Canada reported today that New E.I claims had fallen 7.9% overall since last year, which shows a sign of promise that we are through the worst part of the ressission. To me it is just all smoke and mirrors, on the other hand E.I recipients are on the rise. The hardest hit was Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Labrador.

The labour market is still in a slump, the government needs to step up and so do our employers, we need that one final push to get things a little better than they already are.  For example, GM needs to get their act together. While their competitors like FORD and Chrysler are concentrating on rebuilding in their current market in North America which is still the most lucrative automotive market, having shed their non-profitable lines they are coming back pretty strong. GM is still mawing over if they should but over other companies. The smart thing to do is to concentrate on their core brand and use their bail out money wisely ie. taking care of their employees.

I hope they smarten up of all our sake… It’s just my opinion but….. GM hasn’t made any smart decisions lately and it seems like they will unlikely make any smart decisions in the future…

By Ottawa Business Journal Staff

Tue, Aug 25, 2009 10:00 AM EST

The number of Ottawa residents living on employment insurance posted a sharp rise year-over-year, with 6,810 claimants in June – a 66-per-cent increase from a year ago, when there were 4,100 people using the benefits.

However, the Statistics Canada numbers released Tuesday showed Ottawa is better off than most other metropolitan centres in the province – particularly in the southwestern portion – which have shed more jobs during the recession.

Manufacturing-dependent Windsor showed a 217-per-cent increase, with Hamilton second-highest at 129 per cent. Toronto stood in the middle of the pack at 112 per cent.

The province showed a gain in EI benefits of 109 per cent overall, while Canada as a whole showed a benefits increase of 73 per cent.

Month over month, national numbers posted a 5.1-per-cent increase – to 39,500 people – between May and June. British Columbia, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador had the largest percentage increases among the provinces.

However, the second quarter of 2009 showed a slowdown in the number of beneficiaries, which rose 18.8 per cent in the second quarter. That’s down about seven per cent from the 25.2-per-cent growth rate shown in the first quarter.

Nationally, young people had the highest demographic acceleration in searching for EI; the under-25 age group had a 109-per-cent increase year-over-year.

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/295266133148767.php

United Way report tracks where poorest live and what’s needed to help
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally published May 13/04 for Town Crier.)

Regent Park is home to two of the very poorest of Toronto’s 522 neighbourhoods. 
This may not be a surprise, but what is disheartening is a higher percentage of the community is poor compared to 10 and 20 years ago and of those, who are poor, their level of poverty is more severe. 
Poverty levels are defined, in this case, using Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-offs (LICO). A two-parent family with two kids living on a combined income of $36,247 or less is considered poor. 
In the United Way’s ‘Poverty by Postal Code’ report released on April 5, it defines four levels of poverty from lower, moderate, high (2x national 1981 average) and very high (more than 3x the national average). It compared 1981, 1991 and 2001 levels of poverty. 
In one of Regent Park’s communities, 72.8 per cent of families are living in very high poverty.
But unfortunately, this is not an anomaly.For example, in 1981 thirty Toronto neighbourhoods fell into the categories of containing very high poverty rates (4 communities) or higher poverty (26 neighbourhoods). By 2001, 120 neighbourhoods fell into these two categories (97 higher poverty, 23 very high).
In 1981, North York had zero very high poverty neighbourhoods, by 2001 it had seven such communities.
One of the findings is the lack of support services and resources available, especially in Toronto’s suburbs, explained Frances Lankin, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Toronto.
One major misconception is that poor people are just those who are on social assistance. Most of the poor are working; they just aren’t pulling in decent incomes.
In poor neighbourhoods, 90 per cent of the people are working and in very poor neighbourhoods it is 87 per cent, Lankin told the Town Crier. “But the jobs are often at minimum wage.” 
One of the problems is that minimum wage has been frozen for almost a decade until the Ontario Liberals raised it by 30 cents on Feb. 1 from $6.85 to $7.15 per hour.
Meanwhile, inflation has gone up 15 per cent in 10 years and housing costs are up 30 per cent, she said. “So they are 45 per cent worse off than 10 years ago.”
It is said that people should not be spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rent or housing. In 1991, 12.6 per cent of tenants were spending more than a third of their income on rent and by 2001 this rose to 43.2 per cent. Just because someone is poor doesn’t mean they have access to affordable housing and if they do, their income may be so low that the rents are still too high. 
This doesn’t just impact adults of course. 
“Where parents are working two or three jobs the kids have nothing to do after school but hang out at the mall or ravine, which makes them ripe picking for the streets,” Lankin said. 
As a society we need to be providing young people with productive things to do, she added. The next phase is to track the number of parks and recreation services, community centres and after school programs in each community. 
In 1991, there were 80,590 children under 14 years of age living in higher poverty neighbourhoods. A decade later there has been a 100 per cent increase to 160,890. More youth are also residing in higher poverty neighboourhoods. In 1991, there were 60,940 youth in this situation and by 2001 it was 97,520. 
“There are few or no support programs for these kids and that is a disaster waiting to happen,” Lankin stressed. “We need to interfere now. The impact is we are closing off opportunities for them.
“We wanted to get a sense of where the most urgent needs are so we can focus our attention, but also to draw attention to the government (as we can’t do this alone).”
Part of the problem is that school boards have raised user fees and many volunteer organizations can’t afford the rates and neither can poor families. 
As one North York mother told the United Way: “What does it say when our schools won’t welcome our kids, but a drug dealer around the corner welcomes him with open arms?” Lankin expressed. 

   Right now, 1 in 5 students in Canada are unemployed. And not because they are content to be lazy on their parents couch this summer, but rather, the largely seasonal nature of student employment has not been favourable in this economic climate. A recent report released by Statistics Canada says that the unemployment rate for students aged 19-24 is higher than it has been since 1977, at 21%.

 Jillian Flake, the Public Relations and Communications Officer for CASA reports:

“Students who are unable to find work this summer will have a much harder time paying for their education this fall, and might not be able to return to school in September ” said Arati Sharma, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).  

“There are government resources available to students to assist them during these difficult times,” continued Sharma. “But we are concerned that very few students are aware of them.”

Despite having invested in significant new programs such as the Repayment Assistance Plan and the Canada Student Grant Program, as well as increasing student loan limits, the federal government has not been successful in promoting awareness and information regarding these programs.

   With such a hard environment to find a job, many students are becoming creative with the way they earn money. CASA is looking for these creative students to tell their story to the media. Beverly Eastham, Chair of CAUS and Vice-President External at the Univeristy of Alberta Students’ Union tweets:

Are you a student who has had to take unusual employment/’odd’ job due to economy? Willing to talk to the media? Tweet @uasuadvocacy asap!

8:30 PM Jul 31st from web

   Or, you can email CASA’s digital technology officer Sharif Virani at dto@casa.ca

   So, have you learned how to spin wool? Perhaps you’ve taken to becoming a sherpa? Maybe you’ve transfered your biochemistry skills to creating heroin in the basement of a Hell’s Angel’s roadside bar?

   Or maybe you remembered when Bedouin Soundclash played in a sold out U of L Zoo Campus Pub and then saw them last night at the Blarney Stone and managed to become a roadie?

   In any case, shoot me a wall post, tweet, email, phone call, text, or otherwise if you have a good story to tell. And for all those unfortunate souls jobless and hopeless for going back to school, remember your financial options are open. Student Loans are always available, and with the government’s new Repayment Assistance Program, paying back that student loan is getting easier.

Happy Sherpa-ing,

Jeremy G

These numbers make it a little easier to swallow:

Average Canadian pay nudges up in April

Average weekly earnings for Canadian non-farm payroll employees rose 1.4 percent on an annual basis in April, Statistics Canada reported Thursday. The average weekly earnings including overtime was $820.53 in April, although the number of people employed was down 51,400 from March, StatsCan said.

“Since the peak in October 2008, the number of employees has fallen every month, bringing total losses over this period to 376,500,” the report said. “Job losses occurred in 64 percent of industries, unchanged from a month before.

“Most of the monthly decline in jobs was reported in the service sector, particularly in universities, food services and drinking places, and truck transportation.

Among industries that saw payroll increases were healthcare and social assistance, up 5.7 percent and public administration, which rose 1.2 percent, the report said.

Comment about this post

So, reading the Globe and Mail in Toronto yesterday, I learned that 23 million people in Canada gave to charity last year, and the average donation was $437 Can., which is about $393 in U.S. dollars.  Happily, this average number was up from $400 Can. in 2004, although charities are worried that the current recession may not sustain this increase over the next couple of years.

Here’s some more detail from CTV:

According to the survey, the top 25 per cent of donors were responsible for 82 per cent of total donations, while the top 25 per cent of volunteers were responsible for 78 per cent of total unpaid work.

The top 25 per cent donors, those who gave $364 or more, were more likely to be older, have a higher household income and to have more formal education. They were also more likely to be employed, widowed or attend a religious service on a weekly basis.

Via Service Nation’s Facebook feed, however, the U.S. side of that story may be a little more of a downer.  On the same report, but via the Post:

Charitable giving in the United States fell by 2 percent last year, the largest year-over-year drop and only the second decline since the Giving USA Foundation began tracking American philanthropy 53 years ago…

How does your giving measure up? Do you and other South Asians you know give at an average level?   Is the recession affecting your giving?  Do you find that you, your friends, or relatives tend to give more if you attend temple, mosque, or church regularly?  If you’re happy with your employment situation?

All we can say is…argh.

Although every story you read talks of how horrible this statistic is, this is one of the only articles suggesting a way to do something about it. Maybe it’s time to stop reporting in disgust, and make a change. Also, the first recommended change is a little off, since minimum wage isn’t $10 yet:

BC worst in Canada for child poverty – again

New figures from Statistics Canada show that B.C. leads the nation in child poverty for the sixth year in a row.

The StatsCan figures show that 13 per cent of B.C. residents under 18 live in poverty — the highest percentage in Canada — and well above the national child-poverty average of 9.5 per cent.

On the plus side, the just-released 2007 numbers — the latest available — represent a drop from 2006, when the B.C. rate was 16.5 per cent and the national rate was 11.4 per cent.

“There was some good news in 2007 — the rate was coming down — but B.C. had the highest child-poverty rate for the sixth year in a row,” said Adrienne Montani, principal co-ordinator for First Call, the B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. “In 2007 the economy was in good shape.

“We’re very worried about what happens now that the economy is in bad shape.”

For Montani, her biggest worry was the statistic for single-mother families — in B.C. 37.4 per cent of children in those families were living in poverty, compared to a national average of 26.6 per cent.

“That’s more than one in three,” said Montani. “There seems to be denial here — the government simply says, ‘The best answer to poverty is a job.’

“But the numbers don’t lie — we didn’t make them up, this is StatsCan data.”

Steve Kerstetter of the First Call co-ordinating committee said child poverty is a very complex issue.

“There is no magic bullet when you talk about poverty,” he said. “We have too many people working at low-wage jobs, too many people who are working part of the year, not the whole year, and too many people working part-time rather than full-time.”

Kerstetter said B.C. is a magnet for new immigrants, making the child-poverty issue worse here.

“It takes time for immigrants to get settled.”

NDP leader Carole James said the statistics show that B.C. didn’t act when the times were good, and the problem will only get worse under today’s economic downturn. “This is another example that we should have been acting on this issue in the good times,” said James. “It’s a warning sign, and I’m concerned what that’s going to mean for child poverty and families in need now. “I think the root causes are the minimim wage, housing, and child care.”

First Call is asking for a minimum 25-per-cent reduction in the child poverty rate by 2012, and a minimum 50-per-cent reduction by 2017.

The group says B.C. should:

• Raise the minimum wage from $10 to $10.76 per hour immediately, with annual increases pegged to increases in the cost of living.

• Abolish the $6-per-hour training wage.

It wants the federal government to:

• Increase the Canada Child Tax Benefit to $5,250 per child.

• Provide universal access to high-quality, accessible child care.

Comment about this post

Long have I neglected my website! But fear not, I will be posting to it throughout the summer.

To make a long story short, I’ve just started a 14-week summer internship at the Edmonton Journal. I’m very excited to be back and can’t wait to see how this longer stint goes.

During my first week, there was a lot of training, so there aren’t a lot of stories. However, I worked on a really great story about death and dying. Donna Wilson, a nurse and researcher at the U of A, studied StatsCan data and found that since 1994, fewer people have been choosing to die in hospitals. I talked to her for over an hour in one of the most interesting interviews I’ve ever done… and it made the front page!

Friday, May 29: Patients Insist on Dying at Home, A1.